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Preparing brilliant minds for rewarding academic careers

Our programme offers the teaching experience, research skills and networking opportunities you will need to secure your future academic placement.

As part of your studies, you will be given a number of opportunities to develop a competitive advantage in your career:

• Our Graduate Teaching Assistant programme supports you to develop teaching and assessment skills. You will then perform a wide range of teaching duties to support the School’s Master’s programmes.
• The Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI) Professional Skills Development programme offers training in fundamental research skills, from presenting and project management to career planning and grant writing.
• You will have unrivalled opportunities to make long-lasting connections that will prove invaluable in your future career, mixing with fellow students, alumni, adjunct professors and visiting faculty, from across ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.
• Our research departments run seminars where internal and external academics discuss their latest work. These offer networking opportunities and speakers often lead special topic workshops for research students.
• Presenting and sharing your work at seminars and conferences is an extremely important aspect of doctoral studies, helping you to gain valuable feedback on your research and where you can form important connections with fellow academics who specialise in your field. We offer some funding to support you in this.

The majority of our doctoral students go on to pursue careers in academia or research.

Analytics & Operations

2025-26 graduates

• Assistant Professor, City St George's

2024-25 graduates

• Assistant Professor, University of Sydney
• Post Doc, Princeton, Assistant Professor, UCL School of Management

2021-22 graduates

• Quantitative Risk Analyst, Citi Financial Services

Economics & Public Policy

2025-26 graduates

• Postdoc, Cambridge and Bocconi
• Postdoc Research Associate, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School

2024-25 graduates

• Research Fellow, Health Economics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Senior Growth Associate, Fluence
• Economic Consulting Analyst, Grant Thornton
• Postdoc, University of Utah

2022-23 graduates

• Health Policy Analyst, OECD
• Teaching Fellow, Department of Surgery and Cancer, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ
• Research Economist, Bank of England

2021-22 graduates

• Researcher, Mathematica

2020-21 graduates

• Quantitative Scientist, Flatiron Health, New York
• Fellow, Department of Geography & Environment, LSE
• Deployment Strategist, Palantir Technologies

Finance

2025-26 graduates

• Expert Researcher, Qube Research & Technologies
• Assistant Professor, Warwick
• Assistant Professor, Copenhagen Business School (Sep 2026)
• Financial Expert, Bank of Italy

2024-25 graduates

• Departmental Lecturer, Financial Economics, Oxford Saïd Business School
• Assistant Professor, Tsinghua University
• Economist, Bank of Italy
• Assistant Professor, Copenhagen Business School

2023-24 graduates

• Assistant Professor, Finance, Copenhagen Business School
• Assistant Professor, Finance, Rotterdam School of Management
• Assistant Professor, Finance, Indiana University Northwest

2022-23 graduates

• Assistant Professor, Finance, Lebanese American University
• Assistant Professor, Financial Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 
• Assistant Professor, Finance, Queen Mary University London

2021-22 graduates

• Assistant Professor, Finance, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania
• Economist, World Bank 
• Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam Business School

2020-21 graduates

• Systematic Macro Trading, Caxton Associates
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cambridge Judge Business School
• Postdoc Researcher, University of Mannheim 
• Senior Quantitative Analyst, Fitch Ratings
• Senior Researcher, Bank of England 
• Assistant Professor, Leibniz Institute 
• Senior Research Economist, Bank of England
• Research Affiliate, Centre for Global Finance and Technology, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School
• Researcher, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE in Frankfurt

Management & Entrepreneurship

2025-26 graduates

• Postdoc, University College London
• Postdoc, University College London and Loughborough
• Assistant Professor, SKEMA

2024-25 graduates

• Postdoc, Cambridge Judge Business School (Teaching Associate in Entrepreneurship)

2023-24 graduates

• Assistant Professor, ESADE

2022-23 graduates

• Postdoc, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
• Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Business School
• Assistant Professor, NEOMA Business School, France
• Policy Research and Advisor, OECD
• Lecturer, Leadership, Henley Business School, University of Reading 

2021-22 graduates

• Head of Acceleration and Programme Design, LSE Generate 

2020-21 graduates

• Teaching Fellow, International Business, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Marketing

2023-24 graduates

• Assistant Professor, Marketing, Georgia State University

2022-23 graduates

• Assistant Professor, IESEG Paris

2020-21 graduates

• Teaching Fellow, Warwick Business School
• Research Associate, Cambridge Judge Business School 

Academic achievement

A PhD at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ is a demanding academic qualification. We look for evidence of strong and consistent academic performance and expect applicants to have high grades at both Bachelor’s and Master’s level, including a strong dissertation.

• From graduates of UK institutions, we expect at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree at undergraduate level and a Master’s degree awarded with Merit or Distinction. We also look for the appropriate level of commitment evidenced by your personal statement and references.
• From graduates of international institutions, please see the University's Country index for the equivalent of these qualifications, though please bear in mind that the Business School may ask for higher grades than the University minimum.
• In exceptional circumstances, we will consider candidates holding a strong First Class Honours undergraduate degree, without a Master’s, if accompanied by very strong academic references and outstanding CV and personal statement.

For general enquiries, please contact us.

Pre-requisite knowledge and training

You will be expected to have a solid foundation in quantitative research methods, understand the breadth of your research area and have in-depth knowledge of your specific field, demonstrated through your own original research. Graduates who are working in primarily qualitative fields are still expected to undertake core quantitative methods training.

To be able to succeed in the formal courses, as a minimum, you should have knowledge of:

Calculus

Topics include functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, applications of the derivative, curve sketching, and integration theory, methods of integration, applications of the integral, Taylor’s theorem, infinite sequences and series.

Matrix theory/Linear algebra

Topics include matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, determinants, vector algebra and geometry, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, vector spaces, subspaces, bases, and dimension, linear transformations, representation by matrices, nullity, rank, diagonalization, inner products, adjoints, unitary, and orthogonal transformations.

Statistics

Topics include fundamentals of probability theory, confidence intervals, and tests of hypothesis for normal distributions, one and two sample tests and associated confidence intervals for means and proportions, analysis of variance, F-tests, correlation, regression, contingency tables, and statistical analysis using the computer.

Data analysis and programming

During your courses and research, you will use a variety of analysis tools and programming languages, including R, STATA, MATLAB, Python. Applicants who are not confident with programming should learn before enrolling. There are many open online courses available that make it feasible to learn. This web page gives a good round up of some available resources as a starting point.

If you are applying to conduct qualitative research in the Management & Entrepreneurship department, it may be possible to join without the above quantitative experience but you will still be expected to complete quantitative research training during your MRes.

English language requirement

All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency. If you have a degree taught in English within the following countries, you meet the English requirement automatically: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, West Indies. This applies only to degrees that were studied entirely and awarded in the relevant country.

For all other applicants, a full list of acceptable English language qualifications and our required scores can be found on our detailed English language requirement page.

Most applicants meet the requirement in one of the following ways:

IELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in all elements.

TOEFL iBT:

• Tests taken before 21 January 2026: A minimum score of 100 overall with minimum scores of 22 in all elements.
• Tests taken after 21 January 2026: We accept an overall score of 5.0 with minimum scores of 5.0 in all elements.
• We will accept both scores for a period of two years.

Duolingo English Test: 125 Overall with no less than 115 in any band score.

Please note:

• IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo scores are only valid if they are less than two years old on the programme start date
• TOEFL: You must meet the entry requirement in one test from your scaled scores (‘My Best Scores’ reported by TOEFL will not be considered). For more information regarding TOEFL please visit the . Please note if you would like ETS to send your TOEFL scores directly to ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, our TOEFL Institution Code is 0891.
• You may submit your online application prior to meeting the English language requirement.

GMAT or GRE

A GMAT or GRE score is a compulsory requirement to be considered for entry into the Doctoral programme at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School. Your GMAT/GRE score must be submitted before we will consider an application.

A GRE is preferred for applicants to:

• Finance
• Economics & Public Policy
• Operations

There is no preference between GRE and GMAT for all other research areas.

We expect applicants to have obtained strong scores across all elements of the exam. We consider strong scores to be in the 90th percentile or higher in either test.

GMAT

We accept the . If taking this test, our preferred total score is 655 or above, with scores in the 90th percentile in the Data Insights, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning components. Scores are valid for five years from your appointment date.

We also accept the now retired (10th Edition). Our preferred total score is 700 or above. From the different test elements, scores in the 90th percentile roughly equate to: 50/60 in quantitative reasoning, 39/60 in verbal reasoning, 6/6 in analytical writing, and 8/8 in integrated reasoning.

GRE

From the different test elements, scores in the 90th percentile roughly equate to: 165/170 in quantitative reasoning, 163/170 in verbal reasoning and 5/6 in analytical writing.

A strong statement of purpose

One of the most important parts of your application is the statement of purpose section. Although you are not expected to have your whole thesis planned at this stage, it is important to articulate your knowledge and ideas. It should be no more than one or two A4 pages and include:

• your motivation for undertaking the MRes and PhD;
• a discussion of possible research areas that you might pursue*;
• Business School faculty you have identified that align with your research interests;
• what interests you most about your chosen field of study;
• relevant past study or research projects – in particular those completed with faculty;
• your long-term career goals.

*If applying for the Economics & Public Policy pathway, applicants should also include development of a specific research idea in more detail.

Our Doctoral programme has one intake each year in September. As the programme is highly competitive, we recommend that you apply as early as possible before the application deadline.

Step one: start your application

Applications are made through our online application system, which gives you the flexibility to complete your application in your own time and save your progress.

The form includes questions about you and your educational history to date.

If you wish to be considered for the Doctoral programme, please follow the steps below:

• Start a new application and search for “Business”.
• You will need to select which pathway you wish to be considered for, based on your research area of interest. Students applying to Management & Entrepreneurship will need to select either the Innovation & Entrepreneurship or Organisational Behaviour & Strategy pathway.
• You will also need to provide a brief outline of your primary research interest and indicate a potential supervisor.

Step two: submit your supporting documents

Once you have submitted your application form, you will need to upload the following supporting information to complete your application in time for the deadline:

• Current resume/CV
• Statement of purpose
• Complete degree transcripts
• Contact details of two academic referees
• GMAT/GRE test scores: you should have sat and have a valid test score that meets our requirements at the point of application
• Evidence of English language qualification
• Statement of purpose

It’s essential we receive your supporting documents and reference information promptly. Until we have received all the necessary documents and references, your application will not be complete and will not be processed.

Once you have uploaded all the required information, the Doctoral Recruitment & Admissions team will assess your application and you will be contacted if any additional documents are needed.

Complete applications will then be considered by the Academic Selection Committee.

Step three: interview

If you are shortlisted by the Academic Selection Committee, you will be invited to an interview with a panel of faculty before a final decision is made. In the case of overseas candidates, we will arrange an interview by phone or Zoom.

Step four: admissions decision

You will be notified of your application result by email as soon as possible after your interview. You will then receive official notification via your My ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ account from the Central Admissions team. This will include the details of any conditions that you need to complete to take up your place.

If you have any further questions about the application process, please see our FAQs.

The application deadline for the 2027 intake is Wednesday 2 December 2026.

Apply now

We look for applicants with strong academic performance, clear research potential, and the analytical preparation needed for doctoral study. Our PhD students are typically interested in pursuing an academic career, often in research-intensive universities or institutes. You should also be motivated by an interest in studying business as it intersects with science, technology, engineering, medicine and innovation.